Fruit flies and other small flying insects can be a nightmare to deal with, but you could catch and kill them instantly with one handy plate trick that anyone can use
If you have a fruit bowl in your kitchen that’s regularly full of apples, oranges, bananas, and other fruits which are safe at room temperature, then you’ve probably seen at least one fruit fly buzzing around. While they’re most common in the summer months, the small flies may still be seen well into the autumn, especially if they have a food source to keep them going.
There are plenty of tricks out there to help get rid of fruit flies, but if you’re dealing with several of the tiny flying insects, you might find that traditional traps aren’t working as effectively. These traps may also be ineffective if you find the flies are finding safety in your bin, or if they’re coming from your kitchen sink drain, where fruit flies often go to breed.
If you don’t want to wait for traditional traps to work their magic, then there is something you can do. One woman on Instagram shared a “game-changing” hack that promises to catch fruit flies in seconds – with nothing but a plate and some oil.
In her video, the woman can be seen waving a China dinner plate in the air and trying to catch fruit flies. She then shows the plate to the camera, and several small flies are stuck to the surface.
The woman caught and killed the flies simply by spreading a small amount of oil over the plate’s surface. When she waved it through the air, the flies got stuck in the oil and died.
She said: “Did you know that you can catch fruit flies and other flying insects with a plate with some oil on it?”
In the caption of her video, she pointed out that while it was “kind of gross,” it did work wonders for getting rid of the flies buzzing around her kitchen.
The trick isn’t particularly practical if you have a lot of flies in your house, as you’ll have to stand waving a plate around for some time before you scoop them all up. But for the occasional fly, it could be a great trick to pull out.
As one commenter suggested, it could also be handy for any flies living in your bin that refuse to pay any attention to traps you’ve laid out. They said: “Oh my God, thank you! I do the apple cider vinegar in a jar thing, but it’s the ones that jump out of the bin at you that I’m after!”
Another person added: “Erm, I’m sorry?!? How on God’s green Earth have I never known this?!? This is the top life hack of the century!! Sharing IMMEDIATELY!!”
A third also posted: “This is actually genius.”
How to make a fruit fly trap
If you’re dealing with lots of fruit flies and the plate trick isn’t cutting it, you can make a fruit fly trap that will lure the insects in and then kill them. All you need is a few everyday kitchen items.
You will need:
- A small jar, cup, or glass
- Cling film
- An elastic band
- Apple cider vinegar (or ripe fruit, or wine)
- A toothpick or fork
Instructions:
- Add Attractant: Pour about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar into the jar. If you don’t have vinegar, you can use a piece of ripe fruit or a bit of wine or beer.
- Cover: Stretch a piece of cling film over the mouth of the jar.
- Secure: Use an elastic band to hold the plastic wrap tightly in place.
- Poke Holes: Use a toothpick or fork to poke several small holes in the plastic wrap. The holes should be big enough for fruit flies to enter, but not so large that they can easily escape.
- Set Trap: Place the trap near where you’ve seen fruit flies (like near fruit bowls, trash cans, or sinks).